Tuesday, September 22, 2015

There is power in the number 1. This exceptionally long transition into the next phase of our family has made me embrace the joy of the glass being half full- not half empty. I have come to see that having an only child is a blessing (most of the time). At times my daughter even comments on the positives of being an only child. Focusing on the future and the unanswered prayers has made me see what God wants me to see.....the power of one.

The following are a few of the reasons why life with an only child makes my glass half full (these are my personal views as I try to look on the bright side of infertility and just the way I see it as it pertains to my life and personality):

1. Less Stress. Plain and simple. When you have less on your plate you can be more relaxed. One parent-teacher conference. One dance class. One set of notes coming home from school. One birthday party a year. You get the point.

2. Homework. Need I say more? Some days are better than others, but on the days where homework takes us 45-60 minutes I say a 'thank you' that I only have one child. Any parent who has the homework struggle knows the pain.

3. Spontaneity. Doing activities on the fly is so much easier with one child. A few weeks ago it was too hot to go up to my parents lake house so instead we rented a u-haul at the last minute and drove up to my parents house and finally took my piano off their hands. It just felt so easy to do with one child. As soon as we got back we went shopping for mattresses which took 4 hours and never did we have to worry about kids running all over the store.

4. Marriage. Our daughter is almost 9 and pretty independent. We know she will sleep through the night. She runs off and plays with friends. Grandma will take her for a weekend. More time with my husband (even if it is just watching football together in peace or working on projects side by side in the garage) is priceless.

5. Morning Coffee. Enjoying the early mornings on the weekends with my husband and good cup of coffee on the back patio before our daughter gets up- wonderful! She then joins us for breakfast and I am fully awake with my coffee already in full effect.

Morning coffee at the lake house

6. Money. Obviously. Less Kids= more money saved.

7. No Minivan. If there was one thing I promised myself in college it was that I would never drive a minivan. Sorry to all my friends and family that do--it just isn't me. I am actually back to driving a car and not an SUV and I love it!! (Unless someone wants to buy me a brand new Jeep Grand Cherokee, I would gladly switch back!).

8. Child Personality. One diva is enough for me. I see puberty in my future and you will find me in the fetal position somewhere. All parents deserve awards for making it through the teenage years. LOL!

9. No Sibling Rivalry. I remember the days of my sister and I yelling at each other. She once put me in a headlock to get the remote control. We used
tape to mark our territory in the backseat of the car. Oh, we get along now and I love having her, but childhood wasn't pretty. No wonder we got grounded a lot. No fighting in this house!

10. Focused attention. She is our world. Everyday is about her and only her. I lay quietly in her bed with her at night and she reads to me. I can take the time to do her hair in the mornings and many other things I, personally, do not think I could do or get accomplished with more kids.

Our daughter fishing at dawn at the lake house

When life throws you curve balls you have to stand tall and see things for what they are and realize what is right in front of you. I am in no way saying that having more than one kid is crazy. We would love to have 2-3 kids, but this is the path that was chosen for us. Accepting that has not been easy at all. Looking at my daily life and what is easier makes the transition less painful.

Who is 'Braving Transition'?

Jennifer, that's me, the face behind "Braving Transition". I am a stay at home mom to my 9 year old daughter and full time job seeker. Yep, attempting to re-enter the workforce. My passion is genealogy- eh..more like obsession. I love writing, designing, and photography. I get a kick out of finding errors in books, magazines, etc. We have moved 5 times in 13 years and have found our final happy place. We conquered primary infertility (yea!) but not secondary infertility (boo!). This is my crazy constant transitional life.